Hanging file support



1957 F. CONLEY ETAL 2,810,388

HANGING FILE SUPPORT Filed July 23, 1956 y ulu ilvmvrom 4 I E/INK Comer19 I'Ig BY rbmv bifiemlrse,

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United States Patent c) HANGING SUPPORT Frank Conley, Cincinnati, andJohn H. Brinker, Norwood, Ohio, assignors to The Globe-Wernicke Co.,Nor-wood, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Application July 23, 1956, SerialNo. 599,410

4 Claims. (Cl. 129-16) This invention relates to a hanging file support.In recent years hanging files have been increasingly used in ofiicefiling systems. Such files involve the use of folders having along theupper edges hanger rods by which they are adapted to be suspended from aframe inserted in the file drawer.

Since file drawers are of various widths and of various lengths, it isdesirable to provide a support for such files which may be adapted tofit drawers of different sizes.

Accordingly, it is an object of our present invention to provide asupport which is simple and inexpensive to manufacture and which mayreadily be adjusted to fit drawers of various widths and of variouslengths.

In large file drawers where fairly heavy material is filed, a problemhas been encountered in that the hanger rails extending lengthwise ofthe file drawer have a tendency to cant and bend, which of courseimpairs the efficiency of the system.

It is, therefore, another object of our invention to providelongitudinal rail members which are of much greater strength and toprovide in association with these rail members a novel wedgingarrangement for securing the end members to the rails in a selectedposition.

These and other objects of our invention which will be pointed out ingreater detail hereinafter or which will be apparent to one skilled inthe art upon reading these specifications, we accomplish by that certainconstruction and arrangement of parts of which we shall now describe anexemplary embodiment.

Reference is made to the drawings forming a part hereof, and in which:

Figure 1 is a plan view of a frame according to our invention.

Figure 2 is a side elevational view of the same.

Figure 3 is an end elevational View of the same.

Figure 4 is a fragmentary elevational view similar to Figure 3 on agreatly enlarged scale.

Figure 5 is a plan view of the structure seen in Figure 4.

Figure 6 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view on an enlarged scaletaken on the line 6-6 of Figure 2.

Figure 7 is a cross-sectional view taken on the line 77 of Figure 2showing a possible suspension system.

Briefly, in the practice of our invention, we provide two end members,one adapted to fit in the front of the drawer and one in the back of thedrawer. These members comprise generally vertically extending armsconnected by an elbow element so that they may be squeezed together orpushed farther apart to accommodate the frame to drawers of difierentwidths. The vertically extending arms have outwardly extending portionsterminating in downwardly directed lugs and the upper end of these armsare connected together by a top member extending therebetween andsecured to each of the outwardly extending portions. The top membershave at their ends upwardly extending lugs. The rail members of ourframe are of flanged channel shape and the vertically opposed lugsengage adjustably within the flanged channel shaped rails and means areprovided for forcing apart the vertically opposed lugs to produce awedge action thereof with respect to the rails.

Referring now in greater detail to the drawings, the end members, asbest seen in Figure 3, are of generally W-shape having the upwardlyextending arms 10 connected by the elbow portion 11. In order to providethe outwardly extending portions 12 within the confines of a' drawer,the members 10 have the inwardly ofiset portion 10a. The portions 12terminate in the downwardly directed'lugs 13. i i

The two portions 12 are connected together by a top member 14 which ateach end terminates in an upwardly directed lug 15 and which is securedto each of the portions 12 as, for example, by riveting at 16. The rivetor other suitable fastening means is adjacent the portions 10a or inother words it is spaced from the vertically opposed lugs 13, 15.

Adjacent the lugs 13, 15 means are provided for forcing the lugs 13 and15 apart. In the embodiment illustrated these means may comprise a screw17 having threaded engagement with the member 14 and adapted to bearagainst the member 12. It will be clear from a consideration of Figure 4that when the screw 17 is tightened, the members 13 and 15 are forcedapart.

The two end members thus far described support the rails 18. Theserails, as best seen in Figures 3, 4 and 7, are of flanged channel shapedcross-section or of G-shaped cross-section, and in assembling our devicethe lugs 13, 15 of the end frame members engage within the channelmembers 18 as clearly shown in Figures 3, 4 and 5. It will be clear thatthe end frame members may be adjusted along the length of the channelmembers 18 and then clamped in position by screwing in the screw 17.

As is well known in the art, the rail 18 may be notched or scored as at19 so that excess length of the rails 18 may simply be broken off. Inthis way, the frame of our invention can be adjusted to fit any ordinarysize file drawer by the use of only a screw driver for adjusting thelength and perhaps a pair of pliers to assist in breaking off the excesslength of rail. The frame is made to fit the drawer width by simplyspringing the elbow member 11, as can be clearly understood from Figure3 where a file drawer is shown in broken lines at 20.

The file folders (one of which is indicated in broken lines at 21) arepreferably suspended from the rails 18 in the conventional manner asshown in Figure 7, wherein the hanger member shown in broken lines at 22and bent over slightly as at 23 extends over the rails 18.

It will be clear that numerous modifications may be made withoutdeparting from the spirit of our invention and we do not intend to limitourselves otherwise than as set forth in the claims which follow.

Having now fully described our invention, what we claim as new anddesire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a suspension file support, a pair of end members comprising spacedgenerally vertically extending arms connected at their lower ends by anarm having a distortable elbow, the vertically extending arms having attheir upper ends outwardly extending, substantially horizontal portionsterminating in downwardly directed lugs, top elements for said endmembers secured to each of said horizontal portions near the verticallyextending arms of said members and terminating in upwardly directed lugsvertically opposed to said downwardly directed lugs, a pair of flanged,channel shaped rails extending between said end members, the verticallyopposed lugs-on said end members engaging respectively within the saidflanged, channel shaped rails for adjustable movement therein, and meansfor forcing apart said vertically opposed lugs Patented Oct. 22,

to produce a wedge action thereof with respect to said rails.

2. In a suspension file support, a pair of end members of generallyW-shape, the upwardly extending arms of said members having outwardlyextending substantially horizontal portions terminating in downwardlydirected lugs, top elements for said end members secured to each of.said horizontal portions near the upwardly extending arms of saidmembers and terminating in upwardly directed lugs vertically opposed tosaid downwardly directed 0 lugs, a pair of flanged, channel shaped railsextending between. said end members, the vertically opposed lugs on saidend members engaging respectively within the said flanged, channelshaped rails for adjustable movement therein, and means for forcingapart. said vertically 15 opposed lugs to produce a wedging actionthereof with respect to said rails. V

3. The structure of claim 2, wherein the upper portions of said upwardlyextending arms are inwardly otfset whereby the outer ends of saidoutwardly extending portions are maintained within the outer dimensionsof said end members.

4. The structure of claim 2, wherein said forcing means comprisesadjacent said vertically opposed lugs, a screw having threadedengagement with one of the juxtaposed members and adapted to bearagainst the other of said juxtaposed members.

No references cited.

